Lately, I’ve been getting into vegan baking. I have to admit, until recently, I associated words like “dry,” “tough,” and “cardboard” with vegan baked goods. But as it turns out, leaving out eggs, milk, and butter really doesn’t have to render a recipe tasteless. Vegan baking can result in a marvelous outcome – and you don’t even need crazy, exotic ingredients to make it happen.

I’m interested in vegan baking because, of course, it means no animal products have gone into the recipe. And, bonus, that can often mean the result is a bit more healthy than it otherwise might have been. And, to be honest? I’ve developed this strange trend lately of running out of eggs and/or milk, and the last thing I feel like doing at 6:30 a.m. is running to the grocery store. So it’s a great excuse to adapt, and when the outcome is delicious, it’s a win-win.

Case in point: these Super Moist Vegan Banana Bread Muffins.

I had overripe bananas in the fruit basket, my toddler was perched in her “box” (a super-awesome FunPod), whisk at the ready, aaaand, crap. No eggs. So I came up with these, and the whole family was super-pleased with the result.

My favorite substitute for eggs, thus far, is flaxseed meal. Flaxseeds are known for their health benefits – specifically being high in omega-3 fatty acids and fiber. While I often use flaxseed meal in my smoothies, I only recently started using them as a substitute for eggs. For each egg you replace, just mix one tablespoon flaxseed meal with three tablespoons water, and let it sit for about five minutes. That’s it!

This recipe uses the flaxseed egg replacer, plus a large amount of mashed bananas, plus a little vegetable oil, PLUS applesauce. And, yes, the end result is far from dry. Or tough. Or cardboard.

Are these muffins light as air? No, no they’re not. They’re pretty dense and super moist, just like banana bread is supposed to be – they remind me of my favorite super-banana-y banana bread recipe, but in muffin form. And instead of drying out as some muffins do after a day or two, they get even more moist.

And you know what else? I truly believe that if you don’t tell anyone they’re vegan, they’ll never know. Vegan baking for the win!

I love this! I haven’t found a vegan banana bread recipe I like yet because of the exact reasons you’ve listed so I’m excited to try this! Though I rarely let my ripe bananas last long, I eat them like I’m a monkey :)

I discovered you on Oh My Veggies and I’m glad I did!

Karen Troughtonposted on January 7, 2014 at 4:40 am

Hi Marquis! It sounds like you actually have tried more vegan banana bread than I have, so if you make these and like them, I’ll know I’m on to something. The pressure, eek! ;) Thank you so much for visiting my site!

Lindaposted on January 7, 2014 at 7:21 am

I don’t usually keep brown sugar in my pantry. Can I substitute the vegan sugar that I do have?

Karen Troughtonposted on January 7, 2014 at 7:23 am

Hi Linda, that should work just fine! It might change the texture and flavor ever so slightly, but it should still work great.

Rosannaposted on January 7, 2014 at 7:24 am

WhaT Can Be Replaced Instead Of Applesauce…Due To An Allergy

Karen Troughtonposted on February 26, 2014 at 6:27 am

Hi Rosanna, you know, I bet if you leave the applesauce out, they’d still be good. The recipe still has plenty of banana to keep things moist. If you try it, let us know!

Yes! I can say yes for sure now because I have tried coconut oil and I didn’t notice much of a difference. Perhaps *slightly* less tender but not deal breaker level.

Kerryposted on January 8, 2014 at 1:56 am

Since vegetable oil is GMO can I use another oil like coconut oil and for brown sugar can I use raw organic coconut brown sugar??

Karen Troughtonposted on January 10, 2014 at 5:21 am

I’ve not used either of those ingredients in this recipe, but I do fine that coconut oil tends to be fairly interchangeable with vegetable oil. I am pretty sure they will still turn out great (if not better)!

Karen Troughtonposted on February 26, 2014 at 6:28 am

Hi Kerry, I’ve now tried these with coconut oil and was very happy with the results.

Susanposted on January 21, 2014 at 3:55 am

I made these this morning, although not owning a muffin tray I used old fashioned paper cases and ended up with 24 mini muffins! The taste and texture is amazing and the whole house smells delicious. Thank you for sharing this recipe! I,m the only vegan in a household of enthusiastic meat eaters but I,m sure these will be a success!

Karen Troughtonposted on January 21, 2014 at 4:33 pm

Hi Susan, I’m so glad you like them! These have become a fast favorite for us. Love how baked banana goods make the house smell oh-so cozy. Happy eating!

These muffins are delicious! I made my second batch today. They are very moist, unlike other vegan banana bread recipes I’ve tried. The only change I made this time was adding chopped walnuts. They could definitely be an optional ingredient in the recipe.

Karen Troughtonposted on February 11, 2014 at 3:37 pm

Yay! I swear I did a happy dance when I first tried these and realized how moist they were (and how moist they stayed!) Good idea on the walnuts. I’m not a fan of walnut chunks in baked goods so I never think to go there, but that doesn’t mean others won’t want to! :)

Kelseyposted on February 11, 2014 at 7:27 am

I have made this recipe now at least 4 times (and I’m going to make it again now!) with excellent results every time.
The first time I made them, I forgot to put in the brown sugar and since I was making them for my kiddos, I decided to pull them out of the oven and sprinkle a bit on top because I was nervous that they wouldn’t be sweet enough to appeal to them. They were great and the kids gobbled them up despite the lack of brown sugar.
The second time I made them, I put the brown sugar in the recipe as directed, but omitted the flax meal on top because I didn’t think it would appeal to the kids. They loved them again.
The third time, I put the flax on top to see what they would think and they had a hard time with it.
This time, I think I’ll mix the flax meal with a bit of brown sugar and cinnamon to see what they think.
Every time, though, they have turned out super delicious, so moist, and they make my house smell divine!
Thank you!!!

Karen Troughtonposted on February 11, 2014 at 3:18 pm

Hi Kelsey! I’m so glad you (and the kids) like them! I love your idea of mixing brown sugar with the flaxseed for the topping – I bet that would be wonderful!

Jenposted on February 21, 2014 at 10:01 am

Similar to the commenter above, I’ve made these AT LEAST a handful of times now (and my newest batch is currently in the oven), and they are just so, so delicious. I’ve never been a big muffin person, but not only are these so tasty, but I feel good about the ingredients that went into them. My toddler loves them, my nine-month-old loves them, and my (non-vegetarian, non-vegan) husband loves them. Thanks for such a great recipe!

Karen Troughtonposted on February 26, 2014 at 6:24 am

Yay! So glad you (and your family) like them! I made a mini muffin version a couple of days ago that my picky toddler has been gobbling up. Love it!

Nikoleposted on February 24, 2014 at 1:39 pm

Hi, I’m new to being vegan and I suppose you could say baking with healthier ingredients haha. At the moment I don’t have whole wheat flour, just all purpose. Is mixing the 2 crucial or can I use just all purpose?

Stephanieposted on February 25, 2014 at 11:10 am

I used all all purpose and they were fine

Karen Troughtonposted on February 26, 2014 at 6:25 am

Thank you! :)

Karen Troughtonposted on February 26, 2014 at 6:25 am

Absolutely, yes. I’ve also made these with all whole wheat flour and they’re pretty good, too, just not quite as tender.

Stephanieposted on February 25, 2014 at 11:09 am

This was my first attempt at vegan baking, and I was seriously impressed with the results.

Karen Troughtonposted on February 26, 2014 at 6:26 am

So glad you like them! I’m new to vegan baking too, and it’s been fun. I especially love flax eggs – so easy and healthy, and such a perfect substitute.

Janelleposted on March 2, 2014 at 4:43 pm

My first attempt at vegan baking and this recipe was perfect! Absolutely loved the flavours and the texture. Will definitely be doing these again. Thanks so much for sharing this recipe!!

Karen Troughtonposted on March 4, 2014 at 10:47 am

Yay! So glad your first vegan baking endeavor was a success! It’s new to me, too … I’ve been having fun experimenting. :)

Margaretposted on March 4, 2014 at 6:44 am

Hi Karen,
WOW! What great testimonials- getting ready to try this recipe… only I’m looking at the flax powder…may I substitute ENER-G egg replacer instead? and how much?

Karen Troughtonposted on March 4, 2014 at 10:48 am

Hi Margaret! I’ve never used that type of egg replacer, but just go with whatever is equivalent to two eggs and you should be good to go!

Colleenposted on March 4, 2014 at 8:03 pm

Gorgeous photos!

How would the temperature and cooking time change if I wanted to make this a standard-size loaf instead of muffins?

Thank you!

Karen Troughtonposted on March 14, 2014 at 11:37 am

Thanks Colleen! I’ve not tried this recipe as a loaf but I’d suggest keeping the temp at 350 degrees F and cooking for as long as 50 – 60 minutes. Maybe start testing at the 40 minute mark? If you try it please come back and let us know how it goes!

Elleposted on March 5, 2014 at 2:15 pm

These are delicious! I needed a recipe to make some muffins to welcome a new neighbor. Her husband told me they are vegan, and I wasn’t sure what to make…so happy I found your site and this recipe. Glad I made extras for myself! Thanks for sharing.

Keishaposted on March 8, 2014 at 6:47 am

I am new to vegan eating/baking and I am a baker and cook by nature. I baked these last night using all whole wheat flour and no applesauce and they were great . Bonus, my apartment smells amazing

Karen Troughtonposted on March 14, 2014 at 11:36 am

Hi Keisha, I’m so glad you liked them! I’ve loved baking for years and years and having so much fun experimenting with vegan baking. Who knew vegan baked goods could be so tasty?! :)

Hello. I made these in paper cups and they were delicious, but the cooked muffins were stuck all over the paper. Where did I go wrong? :(

Karen Troughtonposted on March 14, 2014 at 11:34 am

Hi Analee, I’ve not tried these in paper cups because they’re so low in oil; I was worried that exact thing would happen! I’d recommend going liner-free or using silicone cups, or use some non-stick spray on the liners if you really want to use them.

Hi! I have this recipe in the oven as I type this comment AND a second batch ready to go right after!! The only things that I did differently is use a loaf own instead of a muffin tin and I added 1/2 cup of vegan chocolate chips to each :). The best thing bout vegan baking is that you can sample the batter! Tastes so good!! Can’t wait for it to come out of the oven. Thanks so much for this recipe with easy to find ingredients. I actually had everything on hand!!

Jessicaposted on March 15, 2014 at 9:09 pm

A loaf Pam, I meant to say.

Jessicaposted on March 15, 2014 at 9:10 pm

Pan!!! I guess I’m just so excited I can’t even type! :)

Karen Troughtonposted on March 25, 2014 at 9:19 am

Ha! Too funny. :) You know – I never even thought about the fact that the batter would be safe to taste. Yet another reason to keep up my vegan baking streak! :)

Anne Heiningposted on March 18, 2014 at 7:36 am

These look delicious! My husband is allergic to apples though so I thought I’d make a homemade pear sauce (here’s the recipe for the other person who was asking about an apple sauce substitute: http://www.twopeasandtheirpod.com/easy-pear-sauce/) and use it for the recipe.

Can’t wait to try it!

Anne Heiningposted on March 18, 2014 at 7:45 am

PS Would gluten-free all purpose flour work in these?

Karen Troughtonposted on March 25, 2014 at 9:18 am

I bet the pears will be delicious! Now I want to try that, too. :) I haven’t tried gluten-free flour, but I would be surprised if it didn’t work. If you try it and get a chance to drop back by and report how they turned out, please do!

Teraposted on March 18, 2014 at 5:50 pm

these muffins turned out great! I have tried several vegan muffin recipes and this one was by far the easiest with the best results. Thanks for the recipe!

Karen Troughtonposted on March 25, 2014 at 9:16 am

Yay! So glad you liked them. :)

Lydposted on March 22, 2014 at 11:21 am

Just tried making these muffins and they are awesome!! As a person who is allergic to diary and eggs it’s hard to find good tasting baked good, but these vegan muffins taste are not compromised at all! I also used silicon muffin liners for the first time and they worked awesome!! No sticking.

Perfect! I always add a little extra baking soda when using wheat flour. But I think this recipe would have been fine w/o! I was super happy to see that the muffins did rise!
I made these for my husband’s boss, who is vegan, so they had to be perfect, and they were!
I have a perfected banana bread/cake recipe where I use butter, but I’m going to save this recipe right with that one!

Karen Troughtonposted on April 7, 2014 at 2:51 pm

Excellent idea to add a little extra baking soda – I will have to try that! Thanks! :)

These are delicious! I have been wanting to try using flax and water as an egg substitute. I can’t believe how moist and delicious they are! Thank you for the recipe!

Karen Troughtonposted on April 18, 2014 at 7:10 am

I’m so glad you liked them! My pleasure. :)

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Karenposted on April 26, 2014 at 2:52 pm

Yum! I only had dark brown sugar, and used canola oil. I also left out the applesauce because I had none, and added an extra half teaspoon of vanilla. I’ve had two muffins straight out of oven. So good! Thanks for sharing. I suppose I should freeze half before I eat them all, ha ha.

These are wonderful! I used all w w flour and honey instead of brown sugar.

Ramonaposted on May 19, 2014 at 3:16 pm

These were perfect! I also omitted the applesauce because I didn’t have any and they still came out perfectly moist. The flax on top was also a great idea. Thanks so much, this is definitely my go-to banana muffin recipe.

Emilyposted on July 22, 2014 at 3:20 pm

Thank you for this delicious recipe.

This is a guess, but I think that you can use almost any mashed fruits in place of the 1.5c mashed bananas + 0.5c applesauce, if it adds up to 2c of pulp.

For instance, I only had 2.5 bananas and no applesauce, so I made up the difference with mashed kiwi and mashed raspberries – it added up to 2c of pulp in my measuring cup. It turned out delicious! Although I could not taste the kiwi’s flavor, they definitely have an applesauce-like consistency when mashed, and the seeds add some textural interest too. Kiwi is also a natural tenderizer, at least for meats – not sure if that plays into anything.

Lastly, filled the muffin cups halfway, added 3-4 blueberries, and added the rest of the batter to cover them (ok if imperfect). Added a nice oomph of blueberries.

Trishposted on September 6, 2014 at 9:37 am

These turned out great! I was in the same boat – “oh crap, no eggs” (or butter). I substituted ground chia seeds, instead of flax, because that’s what I had available. Thanks for sharing. Will be making these again!

Kathrynposted on September 15, 2014 at 1:22 pm

Amazingly delicious! The batter hit the spot, and the end result nailed my tastebuds. I’m so happy I made this. Thank you for the recipe!
I baked mine in a loaf pan around 40-45 mins. I could’ve baked it a little longer, but I figured it’ll rest in the pan.
Not very sweet, but flavorful.

Revatiposted on November 15, 2014 at 5:42 pm

Hi Karen,

I am not a vegan but allergic to eggs! Hence was looking for a vegan recipe since ages :) Tried many but your recipe worked wonders! Super moist , loved it !!!

Vanessaposted on November 30, 2014 at 8:28 pm

Just made these & they are perfect! So fluffy and moist & not too sweet.
I followed the instructions exactly.
I have had bad luck with vegan muffin baking (always dense and not-quite-cooked through) and haven’t been able to capture that fluffiness and moist crumb of non-vegan banana muffins (I used to use Martha Stewart’s Whole Wheat Banana muffins recipe before I went vegan and I loved it, and now I have a vegan muffin that is just as good!)
I want to try them with blueberries next time, as banana-blueberry whole wheat muffins are my favourite.
Thanks for the awesome recipe!! It’s going to be my go-to recipe for sure :-)

Nicoleposted on December 19, 2014 at 8:31 pm

Hello- can I substitute whole wheat pastry flour here? Thanks!

Karen Rayeposted on December 20, 2014 at 11:58 am

I think that would be just fine! The result might just be a tad heavier.

kirstenposted on December 20, 2014 at 2:02 pm

I made these today, subbing chia seeds for the flaxmeal. And I put peanut butter on top after they were all done. They were absolutely delicious and not dry at all or too dense. Thanks!

Amyposted on April 28, 2015 at 10:04 pm

Thank you for the recipe! These are in the oven and almost done as I type this :) I’m looking forward to trying them! Although I wanted to post as I did a few subs; 2 cups Bob’s Red GF Flour and 1/3 c applesauce for 1/3 cup oil (Also, some extra vanilla). I also added some cinnamon and nutmeg to the batter, as well as some dried cranberries and made a half dozen as such. Then I added some chopped walnuts into the second half dozen with some sprinkled on the top for baking. I’m also going to top with coconut whipped cream just before eating. Can’t wait! Thanks again!

Dawnposted on May 8, 2015 at 1:19 pm

These were perfect! They even passed the taste test of my carnivore fiance. I added one cup of chopped walnuts.